ALTERNATIVE STRATEGIES: RESEARCH ASSIGNMENTS

 

Over the course of this semester we will be conducting two research assignments investigating a variety experimental media and the artists that use them. The first Research Assignment, early in the semester, will focus exclusively on what our textbook refers to as "Fluid Frames" media. The second Research Assignment will serve as the final project for the class and will be open to the wide variety of media and artists that you will be exposed to over the course of this semester.

 

1. BASIC STEPS

2. RESEARCH NARRATIVE

3. RESEARCH PRESENTATION

4. RESEARCH JOURNEL

5. SUBMITTING FINAL RESEARCH FILES

 

1. BASIC STEPS:

A. Broad Exposure to Animators & Films: This will be done in as a group through assigned readings and dedicated class screenings. When available, I will do my best to provide links to the films we show in class. That said, it is advised that you write down the artists and films you are most interested in into your Research Journals for future access.

 

B. Exploration of Materials: Before you choose the subject of your Research Project, you will be given a chance, in class, for a hands-on exploration of a variety of experimental media. These in-class explorations are meant to be a sampling and should not serve to limit methods or media. Consider these workshops as the first step in your research exploration process.

 

C. Submit a Research Proposal: Based on previous artist exposure and material exploration, each student must submit a Research Proposal document addressing the subject of their Research. Use the provided documents to formulate an individual research plan based on your own skills, interests and artistic influences. Consider what questions about your chosen technique are unanswered and how they might be addressed through experimentation?  Compile these questions into the form of a research plan and submit your proposal documents to Basecamp.

Research Proposal Templates: Research Proposal #1 Fluid Frames; Research Proposal #2 Self-Directed.

D. Response to Proposal: In response, you will also be given suggestions for readings, videos and additional questions to investigate. You are responsible for reading and watching these materials and for considering ways to incorporate them into your research. We will also layout a weekly plan for conducting your research.

 

E. Experimentation & Documentation: Each student is required to document their research by completing weekly experiments, documenting them in their Research Journals. Expect to dedicate between 3-5 hours of camera time per week on these experiments, and even more if you're onto something. Once completed, post all your experiments and findings to Basecamp. From there we can discuss, give feedback, share ideas and exchange research plans with the rest of the class. If your experiments take you into uncharted territory. . . even better.

 

F. Write Research Narrative and Assemble Presentation: The final step is to pull together what you have discovered and share it with the rest of us. This is done by completing a two-page Narrative and a 7-minute class presentation.

 

2. RESEARCH NARRATIVE: Two-page (double-spaced, 12pt) personal “narrative” of your experimental process while addressing the following questions:

1. Which artists were influential to you particularly?

2. What specifically about their work or technique did you find inspiring and helpful?

3. Describe your experimental process highlighting key discoveries.

4. What have you learned about yourself as a researcher? Do you work best with a specific step-by-step plan or a blank slate and no rules?

5. How will you approach the next research session differently?

 

 

3. RESEARCH PRESENTATION: Group presentations should be 7 minutes with 3 minutes for Q & A.

All Research Presentations must be in a Powerepoint or PDF presentation format.

 

Outline your initial goals and the significant questions you had at the onset. Feel free to show excerpts or stills of the artist's work that inspired your investigation? Consider presenting you research in chronological order as a narrative, starting with the questions you had at the beginning of your research. Show us your discovery process and ultimately reveal how your questions were answered. Did your investigation take you down any unexpected paths? If so, what did you discover along the way? What conclusions did you come to and how will they inform your work in the future?

 

Use visuals as starting points for what you want to communicate and to help maintain the flow of your presentation. Start documenting your process as well as your experiments. Take pictures of each other in the studio and use those in your presentations. Show pages from your Research journel.

 

Be sure to show your own experiments (failures included) with plenty of insight into your process, as well as examples to reinforce your final conclusions.

 

End by showing what you consider to be the "most successful" animated experiments.

 

4.RESEARCH JOURNEL: Every student will need to keep a research journal in a sketchbook exclusively dedicated to this class.

You will be using your journal to keep notes on the films that we screen in class, create sketches that inspire your animation and even technical settings like frame-rates, paint formulas and camera settings. You can also use your journal to document process notes. Feel free to use scans from your journal in your research presentation.

 

 

5. SUBMITTING FINAL RESEARCH FILES: All research files should be correctly named and submitted by attaching them to the Blackboard Research Assignment.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stephan Leeper/Central Michigan University 2020